Remote control units have gained widespread popularity for use in remotely controlling home entertainment systems, which typically include devices such as a television set, a cable set-top box or converter, a videocassette recorder, and a stereo. Typically each device includes a separate remote control unit for remotely controlling the specific device. This causes an entertainment system user to have a plurality of remote control units which is very cumbersome.
A universal remote control unit has a plurality of operating modes for controlling a plurality of devices. Each operating mode of the universal remote control unit enables the user to remotely control each of the devices. Typically, a universal remote control unit includes a plurality of mode push buttons (e.g., CABLE, TV, and VCR push buttons) which correspond to the different devices to be controlled. The mode push buttons are used to directly change the operating mode of a corresponding device.
Traditionally, changing the operating mode of the universal remote control unit is accomplished by simply pressing the appropriate mode push button (i.e., CABLE, TV or VCR push button) on the remote control unit. For example, with the universal remote control unit in the cable mode, to turn on the cable set-top box, a user presses a POWER push button. Next, if the user wants to turn on the television set, the user must first press the TV push button then the POWER push button. Thereafter, in order to operate the cable set-top box again, the user must then press the CABLE push button before selecting, for example, the channel up or down push buttons on the remote control unit. Later, if the user wishes to turn off the television and the cable set-top box, the user must press the CABLE push button, the POWER push button, the TV push button, and then the POWER push button.
More recently, universal remote control units have been developed wherein mode change is accomplished by first pressing a mode select button (first mode means) followed by the mode power button (second mode means). Once the mode of the remote is selected, turning devices on/off is accomplished by pressing only the mode power button for the desired device.
A drawback with either of the aforementioned universal remote control units is that a user could unintentionally change the operating mode of the universal remote control unit by inadvertently pressing the CABLE, TV or VCR push buttons. Another drawback is that the operation of the universal remote control unit is often confusing, particularly when a user first turns on several devices and desires to control one of the devices without first placing the universal remote control unit in the proper operating mode to control that specific device. A further drawback is that numerous button presses are typically required to turn on/off all of the multiple devices being operated.
Other universal remote control units include a single mode push button instead of separate push buttons corresponding to each of the devices. By pressing the mode push button, the operating mode of the universal remote control unit changes, (i.e., cycles) from one operating mode to the next.
A drawback with this type of universal remote control unit is that it is often necessary to press the mode push button a number of times in order to change from one operating mode to another operating mode. Another drawback is that it is relatively easy for a user to unintentionally change the operating mode of the universal remote control unit by inadvertently pressing the mode push button.
Numerous universal remote controls currently available also offer macro button capability. By definition, macro buttons are buttons that can be programmed by the end-user to store and re-transmit a desired series of button functions from a single key with a single keystroke.
A benefit of a macro button is the ability to reduce to a single keystroke what would normally take several keystrokes on the remote to execute. However, a drawback of these macro buttons is that they require a relatively complex series of button presses in a precise order for the user to program.